The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Another adventure featuring Harrison's lovable rogue Slippery Jim diGriz (The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues, 1994, etc.). This time, Slippery Jim is visiting the beautiful but boring pleasure planet Lussuoso when his beloved wife, Angelina, vanishes after visiting the Temple of Eternal Truth; here, for a hefty fee, seekers of enlightenment might visit Heaven--literally. Hot on her trail, Jim finds himself suddenly transported to Hell, complete with volcanoes and man-eating devils! Seems that villainous genius Professor Justin Slakey has used wormhole technology to open doorways to planets in other times and other universes, and now several different versions of the Professor exist to plague Slippery Jim. Another gleeful frolic that enables the versatile Harrison (The Hammer and the Cross trilogy, etc.) to have great fun with an unlikely mix of religious fanaticism and Esperanto.

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